Thermal power measurement

Abstract

There can be provided an engine control apparatus having a controller operable to receive input from a heat flux sensor arranged to measure combustion power within an internal combustion engine and to use said input in a control process to determine an adjustment to a controllable engine operation parameter.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An engine control apparatus, comprising:
 a controller connected to receive input from a heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensor, the heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensor arranged to measure combustion power within an internal combustion engine, the controller configured to use said input in a control process to determine an adjustment to a controllable engine operation parameter; and 
 the engine control apparatus further comprising the heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensor, the heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensor comprising metal-metal or metal-semiconductor layers with the layers being inclined relative to the operating surface of the sensor and wherein heat and electric conductivity and thermoelectric power coefficient are different in two dimensions, and being arranged with the operating surface in direct thermal communication with a combustion chamber of the engine. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controllable engine operation parameter comprises one or more selected from the group comprising: fuel supply quantity; oxidant supply quantity; ignition timing; oxidant supply timing; fuel supply timing; exhaust outlet timing; exhaust outlet quantity; and valve timing. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a continuous combustion engine or a cyclical combustion engine. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an amplifier connected between the controller and a heat flux sensor to amplify the input from the heat flux sensor. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the controller comprises the amplifier. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a signal processor connected to receive the input from a heat flux sensor and configured to calculate therefrom a parameter indicative of combustion quality and connected to provide the parameter as an input to the controller. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the controller comprises the signal processor. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is operable to receive input from a plurality of heat flux sensors. 
     
     
       9. An combustion system comprising:
 an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber; 
 a heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensor comprising metal-metal or metal-semiconductor layers with the layers being inclined relative to the operating surface of the sensor and wherein heat and electric conductivity and thermoelectric power coefficient are different in two dimensions, and arranged with the operating surface in direct thermal communication with the combustion chamber; and 
 an engine controller arranged to receive a signal from the heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensor and to control a controllable engine operation parameter in dependence upon said signal. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the controllable engine operation parameter comprises one or more selected from the group comprising: fuel supply quantity; oxidant supply quantity; ignition timing; oxidant supply timing; fuel supply timing; exhaust outlet timing; exhaust outlet quantity; and valve timing. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the internal combustion engine is a cyclical combustion engine comprising a plurality of combustion chambers, and wherein at least one combustion chamber has a heat flux sensor. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the engine controller is configured to use a parameter derived from the signal and indicative of combustion quality to determine whether to adjust a controllable engine operation parameter. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 9 , comprising a plurality of heat flux sensors provided at the combustion chamber. 
     
     
       14. A sensor kit for installation to an internal combustion engine, the kit comprising:
 at least one heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensor comprising metal-metal or metal-semiconductor layers with the layers being inclined relative to the operating surface of the sensor and wherein heat and electric conductivity and thermoelectric power coefficient are different in two dimensions, and installable to have the operating surface thereof in direct thermal communication with a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, and operable to output a signal representative of a heat flux at the sensor during a combustion cycle of the internal combustion engine; and 
 a signal conveyor connectable to convey an output signal from the heat flux sensor to an engine management system for an engine into which the heat flux sensor is to be installed. 
 
     
     
       15. The kit of  claim 14 , wherein the signal conveyor comprises an amplifier configured to amplify a signal from the heat flux sensor for use by an engine management system. 
     
     
       16. The kit of  claim 14 , wherein the signal conveyor comprises a signal processor configured to calculate from the output signal from the heat flux sensor a thermal power value and to output the thermal power value from the signal conveyor. 
     
     
       17. A method of controlling an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
 receiving a signal from a heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensor of a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, wherein the heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensor comprises metal-metal or metal-semiconductor layers with the layers being inclined relative to the operating surface of the sensor and wherein heat and electric conductivity and thermoelectric power coefficient are different in two dimensions, and is arranged with the operating surface in direct thermal communication with a combustion chamber of the engine; and 
 using the signal as an input to a feedback control loop for controlling one or more controllable engine operation parameters of the internal combustion engine. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising generating from the signal from a heat flux sensor a thermal power value representative of thermal power generated by combustion in the internal combustion engine. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the method is a feedback control method.